Friend-in-Deed: Family needs help after teenager’s cancer diagnosis

Tuesday

Dec 3, 2013 at 11:28 PMDec 3, 2013 at 11:59 PM

By Lauren Leone-CrossStaff Writer

A family of five disheartened by a brain cancer diagnosis could use a little extra help this holiday season, writes one Springfield grandmother in a letter to The State Journal-Register’s Friend-in-Deed charity.

Her 14-year-old grandson was diagnosed in September and began chemotherapy in November.

“I am filling this out for my daughter and her family,” the woman writes. “This year they have a really serious need for any help they can get.”

For 53 years, these kinds of letters have been sent to Friend-in-Deed, a community-based charity designed to give needy families or individuals a boost over the holidays.

This year, Friend-in-Deed hopes to serve at least 2,500 people.

Whether that will happen is up to you.

As of Tuesday, Friend-In-Deed had raised more than $54,000 in donations from SJ-R readers, well short of the amount needed to ensure that everyone on the list gets a food basket.

There’s still plenty of time to give. Donations can be made at http://bit.ly/FIDdonate2013 or mailed directly to FID, P.O. Box 142, Springfield, IL 62705-0142.

Letters will be mailed early next week, rather than this week, to Springfield residents who will be receiving food, FID organizers said. It could take longer for those outside the city to get their letters as area grocery stores finalize arrangements.

The food will be delivered to Springfield residents on Dec. 23 beginning at 8 a.m.